Snowing at Christmas
by emeraldgirl503
Summary: Just some Snow White/Charming fluff, inspired by the short holiday "Let It Snow" commercial. The story takes place in Fairy Tale Land, pre-curse, after their (formal) wedding.
1. Chapter 1

Snow slowly made her way down the grand staircase to the entrance hall of the castle. The whole palace was beautifully decorated with garlands and evergreens and ornaments and tinsel and candles everywhere, in celebration of Christmas. Delicious scents of a holiday feast floated down the hallway from the kitchen, where the staff was busy at work preparing for the arrival of the guests. The sounds of chairs scraping across the floor echoed from the open doors of the dining room, where the finishing touches were being put on the place settings. A group of musicians carried their large instruments into the ballroom, setting up for the evening's post-dinner dancing.

Snow smiled as she gazed around her home. _Her home_. It had been so long since she'd had such a place. While the fact that it was a castle was a nice perk, Snow would have been just as happy in a tiny cottage in the woods, as long as she had Charming and her safety. It had been a rough few years, between hiding from Regina, searching for Charming, and then spending a great deal of time on the move, taking back the kingdom with her new husband, but it was all over now. They had done it, and they had finally settled into their new home, throwing an official wedding ceremony as a housewarming party. Since then, things had been relatively uneventful. Regina's curse still hung in the air, but she had been blissfully quiet and absent for months, and while it still nudged at the edge of Snow's mind, she had vowed to herself that today would be a day absent of Regina. She and her husband were about to celebrate their first Christmas in the palace, surrounded by their dear friends, and then later tonight, she was going to give Charming his Christmas present: the news of her pregnancy.

Resting her hand on her still-flat abdomen, Snow whispered, "No matter what happens, your father and I will always love you, baby girl. I promise we will keep you safe. Regina will never get to you." Though it was too early to feel the baby move, Snow still pressed her hand harder against her abdomen, trying to detect any sign that the baby had heard her and that everything would truly be okay.

Instead of movement within her abdomen, Snow heard footsteps from behind her. "Madam, we've finished setting up the table, if you'd like to come approve it," the housekeeper informed her.

"Mandy, please, like I've told you before, you can just call me Snow," she replied, following the housekeeper down the hall. "There's no need for all that formality."

As she stepped into the dining room, Snow let out a surprised gasp. The table was exquisitely set, with their finest china all neatly arranged in front of each large chair. A long sideboard was laid end-to-end with platters and trays of food, some of which were still empty, and some of which were covered to keep the food warm until the guests arrived. Silver and gold ribbons were interwoven with evergreen garlands and strung along the high ceilings of the room. Along the table, a similar strand of evergreen branches, also laced with a beautiful gold ribbon, wove between tall candles.

"It's absolutely beautiful, Mandy. You all really outdid yourselves. It's even prettier than I could have imagined. Thank you so much."

"It was our pleasure, madam," the housekeeper replied. Upon Snow's look, she immediately corrected herself. "It was our pleasure, Snow."

"Better. Thank you," Snow said with a smile. The housekeeper nodded, then hurried off into the kitchen to help with the final dinner preparations.

With the dining room all set and the feast almost ready, it wouldn't be long before their guests arrived. Of course, her handsome husband had yet to make an appearance. Typical.

Heading back into the hallway, Snow made her way to the staircase. She and Charming had gotten dressed in separate rooms, partly because it was easier that way, to stay out of each other's way, but mostly because they both enjoyed surprising each other with their final looks. However, while Snow had put on a long white gown, with a series of extremely intricate buttons up the back that had taken two maids to do, and done her hair into an elaborate updo, complete with small glistening hair clips that shimmered in the candlelight, Charming still hadn't finished sliding into a nice jacket. She never understood how he always seemed to take twice as long as her to get ready.

"Charming," she shouted as she made her way up the stairs. "Did you get lost on your way down the stairs? Do I have to find you? Again?"

"You say that as if I've never had to find you," Charming teased, stepping out of a doorway down the hall and heading toward her. He looked dashing in a red jacket with silver trim, worn over a white shirt and black pants.

Snow waited for him at the top of the stairs. "You look beautiful, my darling," he said, lifting her hand and placing a kiss just above her knuckles.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she said with a smile, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm as they made their way down the stairs.

"Our guests will be here any minute, and we should be here to greet them," she reminded him as he walked away from the main doors.

"I know. I just want to take a quick look around," he said, leading the way toward the ballroom.

They stepped inside the large doors to the empty ballroom. Again, the décor was beautiful, with large Christmas trees wrapped in gold and silver ribbon positioned around the room. The candelabras weren't yet lit, as the sun was still slightly above the horizon, but Snow could tell that the ribbon and glass balls hung on the trees would catch the light just right and fill the room with a twinkling, shining atmosphere, perfect for Christmas.

Stepping away from Snow, Charming extended his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked.

Snow laughed. "There's no music."

"Who needs music?" he replied with a grin.

Snow smiled back and stepped into his arms.

"Perhaps I can provide us some music," Charming mused as he waltzed her around the room. "But what to sing? Ah, I know. How does that song go? Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

"Charming," she said, trying to sound exasperated, but she knew she wasn't succeeding in masking her amusement. After all they had been through together, it was nice to have these little moments of silliness, even if it was just a temporary interlude before life once again intervened, in the form of Regina and her curse.

"Don't think about her, Snow," Charming murmured, continuing to lead her in a dance without music. "Not tonight. Tonight is just about us and our friends, celebrating this happy Christmas together."

Snow nodded. "You're right. No thoughts of Regina. Just you and me and…"

Just then, there was a loud knock from the front door. "…our friends, who seem to have arrived," she finished. Charming stopped dancing and again tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, before leading her into the hallway to greet their guests.


	2. Chapter 2

The first guests to arrive were the dwarves, dressed in a variety of attire, from the very festive Happy decked in red and green to Grumpy, who was wearing his usual attire. When Snow teased him about it, he merely replied, "What? I washed it," as if that was all that should be required. More guests quickly followed, including Red and her grandmother, Red without her iconic cape, as Wolf's Time had just finished the previous night. Her eyes still sparkled with post-transformation excitement, as they always did now that she had mastered her identity and gained her freedom, making her look even more splendid in her gold-trimmed dark green gown. Close friends, like their dear friend and first wedding officiate Lancelot, continued to arrive over the next 30 minutes, all greeting their new leaders with warmth and affection.

When the last guest had arrived, Snow and Charming led their guests into the dining room, where a sumptuous feast awaited. The staff had outdone themselves, and the sideboard was loaded with delicious-looking dishes from around the kingdom. Charming and Snow seated themselves at opposite ends of the table. After their guests had all taken their places, Charming stood and raised his goblet. "Before we begin, I would like to say a few words. On behalf of my wife and myself, we would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Without all of your dedication and support over these past few months, we would not be sitting down to enjoy this amazing meal. As you all know, there were many obstacles to taking back the kingdom, obstacles that we faced and overcame together. You all made tremendous sacrifices with courage and an indomitable spirit, and the faith and trust you had and continue to have in us is overwhelming and inspiring. Snow and I cannot even begin to repay the enormous debt we owe you, but we intend to try, by leading this kingdom with fairness and compassion in a manner deserving of your faith and trust, fulfilling not only your expectations, but your hopes and dreams. This kingdom and the people in it hold a special place in our hearts, which is why Snow and I were and will continue to be dedicated to protecting and serving this land and all its inhabitants.

"When Snow and I were just beginning our campaign and our lives together, I once told her that we would take back the kingdom, and we would do it as a family. Well, at the time, I had no idea just how fortunate we were to have such a large family. All of you gathered here today are very dear members of what has become a wonderful family. Since Christmas is a time to spend with the people you love, we can think of no greater group of people to spend tonight with than all of you. So without further ado, merry Christmas, and bon appétit!"

Everyone around the table raised their glasses and clinked them against their neighbors, with big smiles and cheerful "merry Christmases", as the staff began bringing over plates full of food and serving the guests. Snow raised her goblet and lightly tapped it against those of her neighbors. Lancelot, on her left, gave her a slightly quizzical look as their glasses touched, but Snow was distracted by a question from Prince Thomas on her right and wasn't able to question his expression. She was worried he might be onto her secret, since she had instructed the staff to secretly fill her goblet with water instead of wine tonight. It was a solid metallic cup, so she didn't know how Lancelot would have seen its contents, but she couldn't think of another explanation for his look. Snow wanted to be inconspicuous tonight, so she could tell Charming herself, in private, in her own way, rather than having her secret accidentally discovered and shared due to her beverage choice. Luckily, it was Lancelot, a man Snow knew she could trust to keep a secret. After all, he was the only person other than herself that knew the child she carried would be a girl, and she knew he would never share that knowledge with anyone.

At the other end of the table, Charming laughed at something Grumpy said, and Snow's heart did a little flip in her chest. She loved seeing Charming so carefree and happy, so uninhibited and unburdened. Moments like this one had been few and far between until a few months ago, so Snow never took them for granted. If there was a curse coming, Snow hoped she could store these mental memories of this happy time, these little snapshots of joy and love, and call on them to give her strength to get through whatever lay ahead. Regina may be powerful, but true love conquered all, and Snow hoped that it could pull them through this curse as it had all their other obstacles in the past.

But there she went, thinking of the curse again. Her face must have reflected her heavy thoughts, for Lancelot gave her a gentle nudge from the left. "Everything okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, of course. Lost in thought for a moment, that's all," she said with a smile.

Lancelot looked at her for a moment as if deciding whether to press it, then nodded. "Happens to the best of us," he replied with one of his unexpectedly sweet smiles, so at odds with his fearsome reputation.

A staff member approached with a tray of food, interrupting any further conversation on the topic. As the staff member served them large helpings of meats and vegetables, Snow looked down the table at her husband again. This time, he caught her eye and smiled, then raised his glass to her. She smiled back and raised hers in reply. Then, in a moment reminiscent of their first wedding ceremony, they both took a sip from their goblets while maintaining eye contact with one another, before returning to their attention to their nearby companions.

As anticipated, the meal was delicious, with every dish prepared perfectly. The staff had really outdone themselves, and she and Charming would really have to insist that they take more time off than just Christmas day tomorrow. A bigger Christmas bonus might not be unreasonable either. She would have to talk to Charming about it, but if anything, he was more generous than she, so she didn't anticipate there being any problem.

Since everyone was quite full, they lingered at the table talking after their meal, to give themselves time to digest before the dancing. After a short while, Charming excused himself from conversation with his dinner companions and walked to the other end of the table, where his wife sat. He extended his hand to her, and she stood and placed her fingers in his. The two walked into the adjoining ballroom, which twinkled and glowed with the lights of candles glistening off the decorations, just as Snow had imagined it would. As they entered the room, the musicians quickly struck up a melody. Charming and Snow moved to the center of the floor and faced one another. With his free hand on the small of her back and her fingers resting on his shoulder, Charming led Snow around the floor in a smooth and graceful waltz. Though their guests began filtering into the room, they never broke eye contact. Other couples began joining them on the floor as the band moved seamlessly from one song to the next.

After the third song in a row, Snow smiled at Charming. "I think it would be polite if we danced with a few of our guests," she suggested.

"I suppose it would," he replied, reluctantly stepping away from her. Lifting their joined hands to his lips, he pressed a gentle kiss against the back of her hand. "Until later, my darling," he said, before giving her a wink and heading across the floor toward Granny.

Snow smiled to herself as Charming coaxed the older woman onto the floor with him. He really was quite the charmer.

"May I have this dance?" said a voice from behind her.

Snow turned and stepped into Lancelot's arms. "Of course you may," she said.

They moved around the floor silently for a few steps, before Lancelot said, "You and your husband seem very happy together."

Snow looked over at her husband, cheerfully chatting away with a grinning Granny while he whisked her around the floor. "We are indeed. Thanks in large part to you," she added.

Lancelot shook his head. "I did nothing," he replied. "What you two have is true love, and whether I had been involved in your life or not, you would both be just as blissfully happy as you are right now."

"That's not true," she said. "Without you, our dreams of having a child would be completely destroyed. Now, thanks to you…" she began, then abruptly halted before blurting out her secret.

Lancelot gave her a knowing grin. "He doesn't know yet, does he?"

"Know what?" Snow asked innocently.

Lancelot lowered his voice. "That you're pregnant," he replied.

"Shh," she whispered, letting him lead her off the dance floor to a more private area. When they were safely tucked behind a column, out of sight and hopefully out of earshot of any other guest, Snow continued. "No, he doesn't know yet. I plan on telling him tonight."

"That will be a nice Christmas present," Lancelot responded with a wide smile. "You and your husband are going to be wonderful parents. Your little girl is very lucky."

"You're pregnant with a daughter?" Red said excitedly, ducking her head around the column.

"Shhhhh," Snow hissed, pulling Red behind the column with them. "What are you doing over here? I thought we were alone."

Red shrugged. "I saw you and Lancelot duck behind here, and I was curious, so I came to eavesdrop." Then her face lit up again. "You're pregnant?!" she whispered excitedly, her eyes gleaming.

"Yes," Snow answered. "But Charming doesn't know yet, and I don't want him to find out this way, so you have to be quiet!" she whispered urgently.

"I will, I will," Red replied. "But this is so exciting! You're going to have a little girl!" she said, slightly bouncing up and down.

Snow wanted to repeat her warning to stay quiet, but she was too excited. A beam broke out on her face. "I know. I'm going to have a daughter!" she said, her face glowing.

Red let out a quiet squeal, and the two women hugged each other tightly. Red excitedly began peppering Snow with questions. "How far along are you? How long have you known? When are you going to tell Charming?"

Lancelot cleared his throat quietly. "Sorry to interrupt, but if we stay hiding back here much longer, we're going to attract more curious onlookers. We should probably rejoin the rest of the party."

Snow nodded and gave Lancelot a smile of gratitude. She knew she could trust him to keep her secret. Giving a final look of warning to Red, Snow explained, "I don't plan on telling Charming that we're having a girl. I want it to be a surprise until the baby's born."

"Understood. My lips are sealed," Red said, mimicking a locking motion with her hands by her lips. Then she smiled and gave Snow another quick hug. "Congratulations again!" she whispered in her ear. "You're going to be a fantastic mother."

With a quick sniff and a dab at the tears in her eyes, Snow gave her two dear friends a tender smile and stepped out from behind the pillar to rejoin the party.


	3. Chapter 3

The merriment and dancing continued for hours. Snow and Charming were the perfect hosts, mingling with their guests and dancing with everyone, though they stole glances at one another and shared secret smiles from across the room all night long. As the hours passed, Snow's anticipation and excitement grew, and while she was glad everyone was enjoying themselves, a part of her wished they could all leave so she could have some alone time with her husband.

Based on the chiming of the clock in the hall, it was after 11 when things finally started to wind down. Snow and Charming accompanied their guests to the hallway to say their goodbyes. As warm holiday wishes were exchanged, Red pulled Snow close and gave her a tight hug. "Good luck," she whispered to Snow, giving her a quick wink before following Granny to the door.

Lancelot also gave her a secretive smile as he kissed the back of her hand. "Take care of yourself," he said. "And have a very merry Christmas."

Snow smiled and squeezed his hand. "Merry Christmas, Lancelot."

When the last guest had left, Charming turned to his wife and extended his arm. She stepped close and linked her arm through his, then leaned her head against his shoulder as they made their way up the stairs to their room. While Charming stepped toward the small dressing room to hang his jacket and change his clothes, Snow took a seat at the vanity to begin undoing her elaborate hairstyle. "That was a wonderful party," she said conversationally, trying to keep her tone steady and the topic light. She didn't want to immediately jump into the news of her pregnancy, but she was having a hard time keeping it in anymore.

"It was indeed," Charming replied from the other room.

"I think everyone really enjoyed themselves," Snow continued. "And did you see how much time Red and Lancelot spent together? It seemed like they were dancing with one another almost every time I saw them. I think they would be a good match, don't you? They're both tough, resilient people who have been through a lot. I know Lancelot tends to seem straight-laced and serious, but I think he's much more playful than he lets on, and I think Red would help bring that out in him. And I think he would help keep her grounded."

"You just want your two best friends to get together," Charming teased, emerging from the dressing room in his sleeping attire.

"How is it that you take hours to get dressed for an event, but you can get undressed and ready for bed in about 30 seconds?" Snow wondered aloud, giving him an amused look over her shoulder.

Charming came over and knelt behind her to address the buttons on the back of her dress. "I can always be quick when I have the right motivation," he murmured, pressing a kiss on the back of her neck. Snow continued to pull pins out of her hair, but became distracted when Charming began planting kisses along her spine as he undid buttons.

"Charming," she whispered, closing her eyes and giving into the sensations.

Charming finished undoing the buttons and reached the base of her spine, then slid his hands up her bare back as he stood. Sliding onto the small bench beside her, he started gently pulling the remaining pins out of her hair. After he removed each pin, he placed another kiss on her bare skin, starting at her shoulder and moving toward her neck. When he removed the last pin, he slid a hand into her now-free hair to cup her head and kiss her tenderly on the lips. From downstairs, the faint chiming of the hallway clock indicated that it was midnight.

"Merry Christmas," Charming said softly as he pulled away.

Snow smiled. "Merry Christmas." With another quick kiss for Charming, she stood and made her way to the dressing room. She stepped out of her dress and slid into a nightgown. After a quick trip to the adjoining bathroom, she padded back to the bedroom. Charming was sitting in bed, his back propped against the headboard. As she approached, he stretched out his arm. She quickly slipped into bed and snuggled up against him. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she said, "I have a Christmas present for you."

"I thought we were exchanging those in the morning," he replied with a grin.

"We are, but this one's special. I didn't want to wait until the morning."

Charming chuckled. "Too excited?" he asked. "And you've been teasing me all week about how excited I've been for Christmas."

Snow rolled her eyes. "Giving you a Christmas present now versus a few hours from now does not even begin to compare to your behavior. You've been like a 5-year-old child all week. I'm actually a little surprised you're not pressing your face against the window right now to see if Santa's on his way."

"Of course he's not on his way," Charming replied seriously, in a tone of voice that implied her suggestion was ridiculous. "He only comes when you're sleeping, and he knows we're still awake."

Snow laughed. "Charming…" she said, trailing off.

"Yes, my darling?" he teased, a wide grin on his face.

She shook her head in mock exasperation, then leaned forward and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you," he replied.

She smiled softly in contentment. She loved how easily he said that, with a strength and certainty that gave her faith that everything would truly be alright, that their love really could conquer any magic or curse or obstacle. Even after all their time together, even when his response was practically automatic, every time Charming said, "I love you," he infused it with such a depth of feeling that it still sometimes left her temporarily breathless.

Charming placed a quick kiss on the crown of her head. "So about that Christmas present…" he began.

She would tease him for being impatient, but she was too excited to share the news. Snow's smile grew larger, and she reached out and linked her fingers with his. "Do you remember the day of our first wedding, when you gave me that trinket of your mother's, and I told you we would have a child someday?"

Charming was too smart to misunderstand. His eyes immediately lit up with excitement. "Of course I remember. Is this… are you…?" he stammered.

"Someday is going to be in about 7 months," she said with a large smile.

She caught a brief glimpse of Charming's bright smile before he leaned closer and deeply kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tighter to her, returning his kiss with passionate excitement. When they broke apart, Charming's eyes were filled with wonder, elation, and the bright shimmer of tears, and Snow pulled him close and kissed him again.

A tear had escaped from Charming's eye when they pulled apart a second time, and Snow gently wiped it away with her finger. Charming's hands were cradling her face, and he used the pads of his thumbs to clear the moisture from her cheeks. "We're going to be a family," he whispered in awe.

Snow nodded, tears still falling from her eyes. Charming's smile was still wide as he leaned forward and kissed her again, this time with exquisite tenderness. Shifting to place his hand gently on her abdomen, he leaned down and rested his cheek against where their child was growing, as if trying to hear the baby moving. Snow rested her hand on his head, absorbing this first moment of family bonding with their future daughter.

As if reading her thoughts, Charming lifted his head and asked, "Are you going to tell me if it's a boy or a girl?"

Snow grinned and shook her head. "It's still a surprise."

Charming gave a small nod, then moved next to her again and took her in his arms. "Thank you for the best Christmas present I could ever receive."

Snow smiled and gave him a soft, lingering kiss, before resting her head against his shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, their linked hands resting on her abdomen, until the clock struck 1. After a final gentle rub of her stomach as if to say goodnight to their child, Charming kissed her deeply, leaned over and blew out the bedside candle, and pulled her close, and for the first night since their wedding, Snow drifted into a deep and peaceful sleep without one thought of Regina or her threats.


End file.
